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Sam Hornish Jr. bails out Penske at the last minute in Daytona

July 6, 2012

Sam Hornish Jr., in his Nationwide ride from Friday, made it to the race track just in time to jump behind the wheel of the No. 22 Sprint Cup car. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Former Indy 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr. was named to replace suspended driver AJ Allmendinger for Saturday night's Coke 400 in Daytona Beach, but it wasn't quite as simple as that. Hornish Jr. was in North Carolina, preparing for a Saturday afternoon TV appearance, when Penske Racing officials summoned him to Daytona International Speedway. Just in case, though, Kenny Wallace was named as the stand-by driver for the stand-by driver.

Hornish Jr. arrived at nearby Daytona Regional Airport at 7:27 p.m., about 20 minutes before the start of the 160-lap, 400-mile race. Hornish Jr. missed the drivers' meeting and driver introductions, but made it to the grid just in time to start the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge Charger from the back of the grid.

With Penske Racing no longer needing him, Wallace became the stand-by driver for Kevin Harvick. His wife is expecting their first child soon, thus the stand-by precaution. Richard Childress Racing wanted to use Nationwide Series rookie Austin Dillon, but NASCAR didn't approve him because he's never been in a Cup car on a restrictor-plate track. Harvick started the 400 and presumably planned to run to the finish, without needing Wallace.